Chapter 24: Hey, off-collaboration is hell

The game industry needs to do some self-reflection…

“The Dawn Never Breaks” was an adventure game set in a zombie apocalypse world. The protagonist, who had been bitten by a zombie but mysteriously stopped turning into one, was referred to as a half-zombie. The humans planned to use the protagonist to fight the zombies and restore the world to its normal state, while the protagonist was also searching for a cure to reverse their condition. That was the basic premise of the story.

When I first read this description, I thought it was just an action-adventure game where you defeat zombies. I trusted that Koga had picked something like that out of consideration for me.

But the teaser video completely shattered that illusion.

For starters, since the protagonist is a half-zombie, parts of their arms and legs are decayed, and you’re forced to see that throughout the entire game. A game that plants that level of disgust in the player can’t possibly be normal.

There was even a scene where a hand suddenly grabbed the protagonist’s ankle from underground—I almost fell backward.

And why did the modeling have to be so high-quality? The visuals alone were pure horror.

Hic.

The hiccups that had started from the scare earlier didn’t seem like they were going to stop anytime soon.

I had made it clear how much I hated horror games, but she still sent me this?

Sure, I was the one at fault during yesterday’s collab, but this is too much.

I hate you, Koga…

“This is impossible.”

I don’t think I can make it to the end of this game.

Honestly, just from the teaser I watched earlier, I doubt I’ll even be able to sleep tonight—let alone finish this game.

Should I just graduate?

Hmm.

Today’s the 25th. The collab is on the 30th.

If I negotiate well with the manager, maybe I can graduate in the next five days.

I mean, I wouldn’t actually say I’m going to graduate, but…

[Kaino Izumi: I’m too scared to play the horror game on the 30th. Can we take a break that day?]

That should be okay, right?

[Manager: Stop saying ridiculous things.]

[Kaino Izumi: Yes…]

Ugh, I failed.

Lately, the manager hasn’t been very receptive to my whining.

So that means I’ll really have to play this game…

If I have to play it alone at home, I’ll probably pass out halfway through.

If my mom were here, I could at least ask her for help, but unfortunately, she left for a ten-day business trip to Korea this morning.

[Koga Suzuha: If you’re that scared, should I stay with you in real life on the 30th?]

[Koga Suzuha: The game I had in mind is called The Dawn Never Breaks…]

[That’s okay (sent)]

I slowly deleted the message I had typed earlier and rewrote it before sending it to Koga.

[Kaino Izumi: Uh, please take care of me….]

I guess there was no other option but to accept the off-collab.

Haha, am I going to lose my first friend in four days?

I’ll cherish the memories we’ve made until now, Koga…

Time can feel incredibly slow when you’re studying at school, but when you’re playing games, 30 minutes can disappear in a flash.

Basically, the four days I had left passed by in the blink of an eye.

The stream was scheduled for 5:30 PM on the 30th.

And Koga said she’d come to my house at 2 PM.

I wasn’t sure why she needed to come so early, but when she mentioned that we’d need time to get comfortable with each other, I ended up nodding in agreement.

And now, it was 5 AM on the 30th.

Not 5 PM—5 AM.

Since my reincarnation, I’ve been a good kid who goes to bed by 1 AM at the latest, but the fear of having to play that game and the anxiety of Koga coming to my house had kept me awake all night.

“I need to sleep…”

My body was exhausted, and my head felt foggy.

But fear and nerves wouldn’t let me rest.

At this rate, my poor condition might affect the stream.

Will I even be able to wake up when Koga arrives?

Suddenly, I thought that maybe it would be better to just stay up all night.

I mean, who am I kidding?

In my past life, I was an otaku who could easily go over 72 hours without sleep when needed.

Even though my stamina isn’t as strong as it used to be, I should be able to handle at least one day.

And I knew countless ways to keep myself awake, even if I was tired and groggy.

“Yaaaawn…”

First, I let out a big yawn to shake off some drowsiness, then I jumped out of bed and sat down at my desk, turning on my computer.

I pressed the button.

“Maybe I’ll start with some action anime…”

Koga was scheduled to come at 2 PM. I just needed to hold out until then. If I really couldn’t make it, I could explain my situation to her and take a nap before the stream started. It was the perfect plan.

“…Yano-chan!”

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

“…Is this really happening?”

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

“Huh?”

It was noisy outside for some reason.

I was having a dream where I was eating luxurious chocolate, and someone dared to interrupt it. This crime would not go unpunished. If this wasn’t something important, they’d be getting my death glare.

“KAYANO-CHAN! It’s already 2:30!”

Ding-dong!

Kayano? If it’s Kayano, that must mean…

“Ah.”

Finally realizing what was happening, I glanced at my phone, which indeed confirmed it was 2:32, just like Koga had shouted from outside.

There were over 50 unread messages on Discord, and missed call notifications filled the screen.

B-But, I set alarms for 1:30 and 2 PM! What the heck?!

“I-I’m so sorry!!”

I hurriedly jumped out of bed and dashed to the door, yanking it open for Koga, who had apparently been waiting for over 30 minutes.

“I overs-slept!”

Still groggy from sleep, I awkwardly stammered my apology and bowed deeply.

“…Well, I kinda thought this might happen.”

“Uh, I-I didn’t mean to…”

“Just let me in first, okay?”

I had expected Koga to be furious, but instead, her voice sounded strangely flustered.

“Wh-What should I do—”

“Hurry up and let me in!”

“K-Koga-chan?”

“Izumi, your clothes!”

And then, with an urgent tone, Koga called me by my name, Izumi, like she usually did. Only then did I realize what she meant.

My pajamas were, well, a little too revealing in certain places…

“Eek!”

Without hesitation, I slammed the door shut as fast as I could.

“…Hurry up and fix your clothes, and then open the door.”

“…Okay.”

After hastily adjusting my pajamas to a more decent state, I reopened the door for her.

At least nothing too dangerous was exposed, right? And we’re both girls, so it should be fine, right?

Here is another interesting novel for you, give it a read……

My Girlfriend is a Fan of me